Accessing and Networking with National and International Expertise

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Accessing and Networking with National and
International Expertise

• Mark Childs
• ALT-C, September 14th 2004

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Aims

• Provide access to experts for students of
  performance studies in various learning
  situations.
• Evaluate the experience.
• Determine good practice
• using technology in learning and teaching
• encouraging its implementation.

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Participants

• Partner universities Warwick, Kent, De Montfort,
  Exeter, Queens Belfast, Ulster
• Experts in Kansas, Vancouver, Frankfurt, Carolina
  and around UK (BBC, Blast Theory, Royal College
  of Music and partner universities)
• Students in Texas, Athabasca, UHI and partner
  universities

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Technologies used
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Videoconferencing technologies

• ISDN
• IP ViewStation
• IP PC
• IP PC projection
• Two-way
• Multi-way

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Using IP PC-based conferencing

• For tutorials
• just need a PC, a headset, and a webcamera
• For lectures
• also need a data projector, speakers, a digital
  video camera and a videobus

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Videoconferencing activities
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Videoconferencing activities
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ISDN sessions

• High quality video BUT
• Requires a lot of organising
• Unreliable
• In rooms unsuitable for teaching
• Couldnt run PowerPoint
• Technology not owned
• Expensive

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IP PCs projection

• Weaknesses
• Low quality
• Bandwidth problems
• Required some upskilling at far end
• Permissions through firewalls

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IP PCs projection

• Strengths
• Some preferred low quality of IP
• Felt empowered by
• familiar technology
• Location of technology
• Ease of use
• Low or no cost

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Room-based TCP/IP

• Had success with Polycom ViewStation
• Plug-and-play just connected to Internet port in
  studio
• High quality video and audio
• BUT firewall and bandwidth problems, could only
  use in evenings

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Lectures/vivas/demos

• Difficulty with many-to-one
• Students not participative
• Found difficulty in maintaining attention

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Supervisions/tutorials

• All participants found very useful
• Few communication problems since one-to-one, -two
  or -three

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Conclusions

• Technology not problem in itself but accentuates
  poor pedagogical practice
• lack of presence
• lack of feedback

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How to conduct sessions?

• Delivery style
• Stop frequently and strongly elicit feedback
• disseminate materials beforehand
• Break up sessions with activities
• Include media elements

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Further work

• Project ends 2004
• Disseminate experience
• Test and develop guidance
• In new institutions
• In new activities
• Stay abreast of developments

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Dissemination barriers

• Firewall issues
• Bandwidth issues
• Quality of provision
• Services centralised
• Service support gatekeepers but not stakeholders

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Institutional changes

• IT support integrated into schools
• Ensure participants become skilled
• Instigate service culture within service
  departments
• Decentralise AV and IT resources
• Balance security and communication

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Further issues

• Staff engagement and development
• Implementing videoconferences
• Review of performance-based work
• Additional teaching guidance

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m.childs_at_warwick.ac.uk

• http//www.warwick.ac.uk/ETS/ANNIE
• http//www.diverse-video.net/